‘C’mon Georgia, hurry up - and no peeking!’

Fred and Polly had been leading me through the forest for ages. Before we had set off, they had made me put on a blindfold and swear not to try anything. Why? Because where we were going was Top Secret and that was all I needed to know for now.

‘Are we almost there yet, guys?’

I didn’t like how my words came out as a squeak. I had hoped I would be better able to hide my fear, but the warmth of the sun had been gone for sometime now and we were getting precariously close to dinner time. Which meant it was almost night, which meant complete darkness, which meant monsters and ghouls and weirdos roaming around everywhere.

Fred and Polly stopped so abruptly that I almost went crashing straight into them. They started to make strange bird calls, which were answered high above us with similar sounds. Were they communicating with birds? Was that the Top Secret they were going to tell me about?

My blindfold was finally removed and I could see that we were in the middle of the forest, trees and vines all around us. Then we waited. For what, I wasn’t too sure, but I knew better than to ask questions. Fred and Polly were no-nonsense type of kids, and I wanted them to like me.

Out of nowhere a step ladder came unfurling from above us. I immediately looked up but could see nothing beyond the dense canopy of foliage.

Fred jumped up and started to climb while Polly beckoned me to follow as she pulled up the rear. My legs and arms were like jelly as we kept going higher and higher into the treetops. I felt like I was going to faint, but I concentrated extra hard on the soles of Fred’s shoes and kept climbing. We finally reached the top of the ladder and clambered onto the perfectly level plateau that lead into a sort of cubby house draped with translucent sheets.

My mouth formed the shape of an O when I saw what was inside the secret treetop hideout: twenty or so other kids surrounded by books, paintbrushes, pens, paper, xylophones, triangles and various other knickknacks and doodads.

‘What is this place?’

Fred and Polly looked at me triumphantly.

‘This is our Top Secret Club For Special But Unappreciated Children. We’ve gathered the smartest and most creative kids from around town whose parents don’t let them do the things they love.’

I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a like a wondrous dream, and now I was afraid I was going to wake up at any minute and be back at home being forced to watch reality TV with my family. But this felt so real that a part of me knew it couldn’t be a dream.

‘But why did you bring me here? I don’t know if I’m very special.’

I looked down and rolled my thumbs around.

‘Georgia Harrow, you’re one of the most special kids we’ve ever met. We found the secret stories you post in the dead of night when your parents are asleep and can’t control what you do. You need to be here.’

I was overwhelmed. I wanted to cry, hug everyone and jump up and down as much as my jelly legs would allow. But instead I sat down at one of the tables next to some other kids, picked up a pen and started scribbling words furiously onto a blank piece of paper.